The Little Agent
by DaLiza
Summary: An inhuman child brings out parental instincts in the team, especially Coulson and FitzSimmons.
1. Chapter 1

**Thanks to Stewart and Tracy for beta-ing this for me.**

* * *

"Sometimes it feels like we're living on this damn plane," Mack said to Coulson as they sat next to each other on Zephyr One. "I can't wait to get back to the base."

"Looking forward to seeing Agent Rodriguez?" Coulson teased. "It seems like you two are getting along well these days."

Mack tried and failed to hide a smile. "Yeah. Well, we're not the only ones."

Coulson nodded. "I'm happy for Fitz and Simmons. It's been a long road for them, but they're in a good place now."

"Agreed...but I wasn't talking about FitzSimmons."

"Oh. So...who were you talking about?"

"You know who."

"Voldemort?"

"Come on, Coulson! What's going on with you and May?"

Coulson hoped he wasn't blushing. "May and I are just friends. Good friends. We've known each other a long time."

Mack laughed. "You're going to pretend that lately you two haven't been-" Coulson's ringing cell phone cut him off.

"Duty calls," Coulson said, smiling as he answered the phone.

"Hey, Phil." It was the director. "I need you and Mack to make a slight detour to Massachusetts. We received a call from a small town police station saying they have an inhuman in custody. I want you two to pick her up. I've already alerted your pilot to the change in plan."

"Yes, sir." Coulson ended the call. "Sorry, Mack. We have to make one more stop."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Coulson and Mack were walking into the Marion, Massachusetts police station. They were greeted by a muscular middle-aged woman who identified herself as Chief Thompson.

"You must be from S.H.I.E.L.D.," Thompson said, looking at Coulson and Mack with contempt. "One of my officers told me he called you. I'm sorry you wasted your time coming out here, but I can't give you the inhuman. The girl hasn't done anything wrong. She doesn't deserve to be treated like a criminal."

"Chief, I can assure you that we have no intention of harming this girl," said Coulson. "S.H.I.E.L.D. wants to protect inhumans. We can help her learn to control her powers so she doesn't hurt herself or others."

"Or you could force her to be a weapon. I've heard about what you people do."

"There are inhumans who work for S.H.I.E.L.D., but because they choose to," said Coulson. "We don't force anyone to join us."

"And I'm just supposed to trust you on that? Gentlemen, I've had some experience with Feds. You'll say anything to get what you want."

"I appreciate your concern for the girl's well-being," Coulson said. "Legally we have the authority to take the inhuman but, in the interest of putting your fears to rest, I can give you a list of the names and numbers of some inhumans we've helped. Maybe they can convince you that our intentions are good."

* * *

Coulson and Mack sat in the lobby of the police station. Mack fidgeted in a plastic chair that was obviously designed with someone smaller in mind. "So...we're just supposed to sit here while she calls all the inhumans on that list?" Mack asked his partner.

"I suppose we could use our ICERS on every cop in here and just grab the girl," said Coulson. "But that wouldn't help S.H.I.E.L.D.'s reputation."

"It would be nice if people could trust us again," Mack grumbled.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," said the receptionist, a brunette in her twenties. "I hate to enforce the cop/donut stereotype, but we have a box of Dunkin' Donuts from this morning. Can I offer you one while you wait?"

"Thanks, but I promised myself I would eat healthier this year," Mack said.

"So did I," said Coulson sadly. "...Is there a chocolate one with sprinkles?"

She opened the box and looked inside. "Yes, sir, there is."

Coulson turned to Mack. "What if we each had _one_ donut, and then we'll do some push-ups on the ride home?"

Mack smiled. "I like that plan."

Several donuts later, Chief Thompson returned. "Alright. After talking to the inhumans on your list, I'm willing to let you talk to ours. Follow me."

"What can you tell us about her?" Coulson asked as they walked through the police station.

"Her name is Grace Milstein. She's six years old. She's a first grader at Sippican Elementary. Her teacher says she's a bright kid."

"I'm sorry," said Mack, exchanging a confused glance with Coulson. "Did you say she's _six_ years old?"

"Yes."

Coulson frowned. "We've never seen an inhuman that young before. The terragenesis process is scary enough for an adult; I can't imagine what it felt like for a child. Are the parents inhumans?"

"Not that we know of. Parents were junkies. They lost custody of her soon after she was born. Mom OD'd a few years later. Dad is still alive. He's been in and out of the system. Doesn't see the kid. She was raised by her grandmother until she passed away two months ago. Since then, the girl's been living with foster parents, Tom and Sally Wheelock. This morning the Wheelocks saw her go through...what did you call the inhuman process?"

"Terragenesis," Coulson and Mack said in unison.

"They freaked out and brought her here. I hope you can help her. She seems like a sweet kid." Thompson opened a door at the end of a long hallway. "Grace, these men are from S.H.I.E.L.D.. They want to talk to you, okay?"

A little girl looked up from an iPad. Colorful shapes spun on the screen in her lap for a moment before she switched off the game. "Okay," she said in a small voice.

Mack and Thompson stood against the back wall while Coulson sat down across from Grace. She looked like a normal child- brown curly hair in a ponytail, brown eyes behind purple glasses, purple t-shirt, blue jeans. Whatever the terragenesis process had done to her, it didn't seem to have affected her appearance. "Hi, Grace. I'm Agent Coulson, and this is Agent Mackenzie. I'm guessing you like the color purple."

"Yes. It's my favorite color."

"I like purple too. I've been thinking that I should wear more purple shirts."

Grace laughed. "Boys don't wear purple!"

"I think boys—and girls—should wear whatever they feel comfortable in. Do you agree, Mack?"

Mack froze for a second; he hadn't expected to be involved in the conversation. "Uh...yeah. Purple is a good color on you, Coulson."

"Thanks, Mack. So, Grace, Chief Thompson told you that we work for S.H.I.E.L.D.. Do you know what that is?"

Grace shook her head.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. is an organization that works to protect people. We're here because we heard that you've had a pretty crazy day. Can you tell us about it?"

Grace lowered her eyes. "Am I in trouble?"

"No, you're not in trouble. We just want to know what happened."

"I was getting ready for school and this...stuff...it looked like black rock...started covering up my legs. I was screaming and Sally and Tom ran into my room. The black rock went all the way up to my face and I couldn't see anything. Then it went away and my foster parents were yelling. They said I was an alien. They were really mad. They said I had to get in the car….and then we came here." Tears welled up in her eyes. "If I'm an alien, does that mean I'm bad? Aliens in movies are always bad."

Coulson smiled at her. "You're not an alien, Grace, but you do have some alien DNA in your body. You're what we call an inhuman, and that doesn't make you bad. Some of my friends are inhumans. They use their powers to help people."

"Powers?" Grace frowned. "I don't...I don't have powers."

"Maybe not yet. But you will."

Her eyes widened. "Do I get to pick which power I get? I think it'd be fun to fly. Or run really really really fast."

"My friend Elena's an inhuman," Mack interjected. "And she can run so fast that you can't even see her."

Grace smiled. "Awesome."

"Grace, we'd like to take you with us," said Coulson. "We have people at S.H.I.E.L.D. who can help you adjust to life as an inhuman. We can stop at your foster parents' house first to pack up your clothes and any other personal items."

"I don't think they want to see me again," Grace said, looking uneasy. "I don't want to go back there."

"That's okay. We can get you new clothes and anything else you might-"

"Sara's still there!"

"Who's Sara? Another foster child?"

"No. Sara's not a person. She's my triceratops stuffed animal. Grandma bought her for me when I was little and I sleep with her every night. I can't sleep without her!"

"Alright then." Coulson stood up. "Let's go get Sara."

* * *

"No way is that little alien freak coming back in this house!" Tom Wheelock was leaning out the front door of his house and into Coulson's face.

Coulson took a few seconds to study the man in front of him. Wheelock was in his thirties, skinny, well groomed and well dressed. Coulson decided that he was unlikely to resort to violence. In case he was wrong, he stepped in front of Grace. "She's not a freak, Mr. Wheelock. She's just a child, a child who needs to collect her belongings. We can be in and out in five minutes."

"That's five minutes too long," countered Wheelock.

Mack glared at him. He was easily five inches taller and fifty pounds heavier than Wheelock; he was confident he could take him in a fight. "If you don't want her in your house, YOU can get her things and bring them to her."

"Or, if that's too much work for you," Coulson added, "we can have a S.H.I.E.L.D. team here in five minutes who would be happy to assist you."

"I'll get her stuff," Wheelock muttered. He closed the door on his visitors.

"That guy's a jerk," Mack said under his breath.

"He wasn't a jerk yesterday," said Grace. "He was nice to me. So was Sally."

"Unfortunately, a lot of 'nice' people are scared of inhumans," said Mack. "And guys like your foster dad mask their fear with anger. Yo-Yo has to deal with that kind of crap all the time."

"Who's Yo-Yo?" Grace asked.

"My friend Elena. Yo-Yo is her nickname."

"Actually," said Coulson, bending down to whisper in Grace's ear. "She's more than a friend. She's his _girlfriend_."

Grace giggled. "Are you and Yo-Yo going to get married?"

"Uh...well...I don't know...we just started dating...maybe...but it's way too soon to think about that."

Coulson laughed.

"Coulson has a girlfriend too," Mack shot back. "Her name is Melinda."

"Hey! May is _not_ my girlfriend!"

"Are you sure?" Mack grinned.

Before Coulson could respond, Wheelock opened the door and dropped a black garbage bag on the doorstep. "This is everything she came with. Now get off my property." He slammed the door shut.

"That was fast." Coulson turned to Grace. "Before we go, why don't you look through the bag to make sure he didn't forget anything."

As Grace pulled armfuls of clothes out of the bag, Coulson said, "If Sara's not in there, we're sending a team in."

Mack's eyebrows jumped. "You would send in a tactical team just to retrieve a stuffed animal?"

"Didn't you ever have a favorite stuffed animal as a kid?"

Mack was silent for a few moments. "I'll lead the team."

Grace had reached the bottom of the bag. Smiling, she pulled out a purple triceratops. "Sara!"

Breathing a sigh of relief, Coulson helped Grace put her clothes back in the bag. "We'll take you to S.H.I.E.L.D. now, Grace. I'll introduce you to my friend Dr. Simmons. She'll be excited to meet the youngest inhuman we've ever known."

"I thought Fitz and Simmons were still on their honeymoon," said Mack.

"They just got back."

* * *

Tom Wheelock watched from a window as Grace and the two S.H.I.E.L.D. agents got into the police car waiting at the end of his driveway.

It was too bad. Grace had been a cute and obedient kid. He and Sally were going to adopt her. How lucky they were that they had found out what she _really_ was before they finished the paperwork!

What dangerous powers had she been given? Could she start fires? Melt metal? Make earthquakes like that vigilante he'd heard about on the news?

It would be safer for everybody if she never had the chance to master those powers. If she was stopped before she became a killer.

He picked up his phone.

"Hey, Tom," his friend answered. "How's it going?"

"I need your help."

"Sure. What do you need?"

"Tell me how to contact the Watchdogs."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Any comments are greatly appreciated.**


	2. Chapter 2

"It feels strange to be back," Simmons told her new husband. For the past ten days, it had been just the two of them, doing whatever they wanted. Sunbathing on a tropical beach. Eating fancy meals. Lying naked in each other's arms. Now they were back in the lab, surrounded by their colleagues, and everything that used to be familiar seemed foreign.

"It does feel strange," Fitz agreed. "We had ten whole days where no one tried to kill us. And now we're back in the thick of it. Is it too soon to ask for more time off?"

Simmons laughed. "Yesterday you said you were starting to miss work. You wanted to come back!"

"I missed feeling productive," Fitz admitted. "But now that we're working again, all I can think about is you."

Simmons squeezed his hand. "I've been thinking about you too. I-" She looked down at her beeping cell phone. "I have a message from Coulson. He and Mack are flying back with the inhuman child. They should be here in about ten minutes. The director wants me to do a full medical exam on her."

"I heard she's only six years old," said Fitz. "Going through terragenesis must have terrified her."

"I'm sure it did. And then the girl's foster parents rejected her! Poor thing. Hopefully we'll be able to help-" Her phone beeped again, showing another message from Coulson. "Oh, Fitz! Look!" Coulson had sent a picture of him and Grace. They were making silly faces for the camera. "She's adorable!"

Fitz smiled. "With the ponytail, she looks like what I imagined you looked like when you were a kid."

"I can see similarities," Simmons said. "Although I didn't get my first pair of glasses until I was a few years older than she is."

"I'd love to see a picture of little Jemma wearing glasses."

"I'll ask my mum to send you one."

"And anytime adult Jemma wants to wear glasses in the bedroom-"

"Fitz!" Simmons looked around to see if any of their colleagues were staring at them. No one was, but she was sure some of them had overheard Fitz's comment.

"Sorry." He blushed, then looked down at the floor. "I...I forgot that we have to act professional again. I'll...uh...go work on the other side of the lab."

Simmons couldn't stay mad at him. He was too cute when he blushed.

* * *

Several minutes later, Simmons looked up from her computer to see Coulson and Mack enter the lab. Smiling, they walked over to her.

"It's good to see you, Jemma," Coulson said. "I hope you and Fitz had a pleasant trip."

"Yes, it was lovely."

"We missed you guys," Mack said. "Is Fitz here too?"

"I'm here," said Fitz, emerging from a back corner of the lab. He noticed a pair of little hands wrapped around Mack's legs. "Mack, you seem to have grown some extra hands."

"Grace is a little intimidated by all the new faces," Coulson explained. He bent down to talk to her. "Grace, I'd like you to meet my friends. Can you come say hi to them? Please?"

"Okay," she said softly. A little girl with purple glasses slowly stepped around Mack's legs.

"Grace, this is Dr. Simmons."

"Hello," Grace said, avoiding direct eye contact.

Simmons knelt down to her level. "Hello, Grace. It's nice to meet you."

Grace looked at Simmons. "I like your voice. Are you from England?"

"Yes, I am."

"My grandma liked to watch the _Doctor Who_ show with people from England in it."

Simmons smiled. "I like _Doctor Who_ too."

Fitz knelt down beside his wife. "Hi, Grace. I'm Fitz. I'm married to Dr. Simmons."

"Are you from England?"

"No, but close. I'm from Scotland."

"I like your voice too," Grace said.

"Glad to hear it," said Fitz, grinning. "Let me know if there are any particular words you want to hear in a Scottish accent."

Coulson enjoyed watching the newlyweds talk to Grace. He wondered if they'd have their own kids someday. "Is Daisy around? I'm sure she'd love to meet a fellow inhuman."

"Is Daisy the one you said makes earthquakes?" Grace asked Coulson, sounding both impressed and frightened.

"She is," Simmons answered. "Unfortunately, she's in North Carolina, tracking a group of Watchdogs. May and Yo-Yo went with her."

Mack laughed. "Daisy, May and Yo-Yo together? Damn. I almost feel bad for the Watchdogs."

"What's a Watchdog?" Grace asked.

The adults in the room looked at each other. Eventually Fitz spoke. "They're people who are hurting inhumans. But S.H.I.E.L.D. is tracking them down so they won't hurt anyone else."

"Will they hurt me?"

"No," said Coulson. "You're safe with us." He put a hand on Grace's shoulder. "Grace, Mack and I have to talk to the director. I'm going to have you stay here with Fitz and Simmons. Dr. Simmons will give you a medical exam to make sure you're okay." Coulson started to walk away, then turned around. "Grace, tell Fitz and Simmons what your favorite subject in school is."

"Science," Grace said shyly as Coulson and Mack left the lab. "Tom thought that was weird."

"Who's Tom?" Simmons asked.

"My foster dad. He said that a girl my age should be more interested in dolls than science."

Simmons didn't consider herself a violent person, but if Tom were standing in front of her now, she would be tempted to hit him. "I disagree with your foster father. I think it's wonderful that you're interested in science. Fitz and I are both scientists. We can give you a tour of our lab. We'll tell you about the different equipment and what it's used for. Would you like that?"

Fitz watched as the girl's eyes darted from one lab coated technician to another. "It's a little overwhelming, isn't it?"

Grace nodded.

Simmons raised her voice. "Everyone, please take a fifteen minute break." Simmons smiled inwardly as her colleagues filed out of the lab. Being the boss had its perks. "Is that better, Grace?"

"Yes."

"Much better," Fitz agreed. "Grace, let me show you this new machine I'm working on!"

* * *

After the tour of the lab, Simmons observed that Grace seemed more at ease. Fitz's enthusiasm for his work deserved most of the credit. It warmed her heart to see how well Fitz interacted with the little girl. They had only begun talking about children as a distant possibility, but she could see that Fitz would be an excellent father.

She was reluctant to ruin the mood by insisting Grace undergo an examination, but it had to be done. In order to help Grace, they needed to know as much as they could about her.

Grace cooperated with the initial stages of the exam, but her eyes grew wide when Simmons said she needed to take a blood sample. "I'm scared of needles."

"Many people are," Simmons said. "Even some of the bravest agents at S.H.I.E.L.D. don't like getting their blood taken, but it's important. I promise it only hurts for a few seconds."

"You can hold my hand if you like," added Fitz. "And when it's over, we'll do something fun. There's a park near here with a playground. Simmons and I could take you there."

Grace considered that for a moment. "Okay."

"What do you think of that plan, Dr. Simmons?" Fitz asked.

"I don't think I have time to go to a playground," Simmons said. "I'll need to process Grace's lab results and-" She stopped talking when she noticed identical puppy dog expressions on Fitz and Grace's faces. "I suppose I can have one of the techs do it."

"Perfect," said Fitz. "Are you ready, Grace?"

"I think so," Grace said.

Grace offered Simmons her left arm while giving Fitz her right hand to hold. She kept her eyes shut and squeezed Fitz's hand as Simmons drew her blood.

"You were very brave, Grace," Simmons said. "You're done now."

Grace slowly loosened her grip on Fitz's hand and opened her eyes. Looking down at her left arm, she gasped. "You gave me a purple band-aid!"

Simmons laughed. "I thought you might like that."

* * *

The park Fitz had chosen had multiple climbing structures, monkey bars, swings, and two slides, one that went straight down and another that had twists and turns. Grace was smiling as she went down the straight slide again and again.

"This was a nice idea, Fitz," said Simmons. They were sitting on a green bench at the edge of the play area.

"Yeah. She looks like she's having a good time," said Fitz.

"You were wonderful with her. I think she likes you."

"I think she likes you too. The purple band-aid was a stroke of genius."

"Fitz! Fitz! Dr. Simmons!" Grace called out. "Can you please come push me on the swings?"

"We're coming," Fitz called back.

Fitz and Simmons took turns pushing Grace on a swing until the sky started darkening. They returned to the base and ate dinner together.

* * *

The next few days followed a similar pattern. Simmons ran more tests on Grace, trying to track the terragenesis process as it continued to transform the girl's DNA, and then she and Fitz rewarded Grace's cooperation with a field trip.

They brought her to the local library, where Grace happily selected a large pile of books for Fitz and Simmons to read to her. Simmons laughed as Fitz used different accents to distinguish the various characters.

They took her to the children's museum, where Grace was determined to try the hands-on activities at every exhibit. Both scientists were impressed by her curiosity and the thoughtful questions she asked.

They took her to the zoo. It was hard to say whether Grace or Fitz had more fun in the monkey house.

At least once per outing, someone complimented Fitz and Simmons on how cute or well-behaved their daughter was. They decided it was better to smile and say thank you than to try to explain the truth.

Simmons had asked Grace if it bothered her when people assumed she was their daughter. Grace had said no. She said that she had never had a real mommy and daddy before, so it was fun to pretend that she did.

Later that day, as Grace was eating dinner with Fitz and Simmons, she told them that they were nicer than her foster parents and that her grandmother would have liked them. After melting at that, Fitz and Simmons could no longer deny that they were becoming quite attached to Grace.

Now the three of them were at an ice cream parlor. As they were eating their ice cream, Simmons's phone rang.

"It's Daisy," Simmons told Fitz. Daisy was still in North Carolina with May and Yo-Yo. "She's probably calling to ask me to send more pictures of Grace. I'll call her back when we're done eating."

Less than a minute later, Daisy called again.

"She really wants to talk to you," Fitz said.

Simmons walked out of the crowded shop before answering the phone. "Daisy! How-"

"Do you know where Grace is right now?" Daisy asked.

"She's with me and Fitz. What's wrong?"

"I found a picture of her on a Watchdog website. Those evil bastards are targeting a child! I'm glad she's with you guys. You should be safe at the base."

"Actually, we're not at the base. We're-"

"Oh my God. Are you in an ice cream shop?"

"How did-"

"Someone just posted a picture of you guys in an ice cream shop! Jemma, get back to the base NOW! And call me when you get there!"

Jemma ended the call and hurried back into the shop.

"How's Daisy doing?" Fitz asked.

"She's fine," Simmons answered, trying to keep her voice calm. "We should get back to the base now."

"But I'm not done with my ice cream!" Grace protested.

"That's okay," Simmons said. "You can finish it in the car."

As the three of them exited the shop, Fitz whispered in Simmons's ear. "What happened?"

"Daisy found Grace's picture on a Watchdog website," Simmons whispered back.

"What are you whispering about?" Grace asked.

"Just...normal married people stuff," Fitz said. He opened the back door of their car for Grace. She climbed in carefully, not wanting to drop her ice cream, and Fitz buckled her seatbelt.

Simmons sat in the passenger seat while Fitz drove. Both were too worried to make conversation.

"Did I do something wrong?" Grace asked.

"No," Simmons said quickly. "You didn't do anything wrong. Fitz and I are just preoccupied thinking about...work."

"Exactly," said Fitz. "If the silence bothers you, maybe we could listen to some music."

"Excellent idea," said Simmons. She turned the car radio on and found a station devoted to children's music. Moments later, Grace was smiling and singing along to "The Wheels on the Bus."

And then the sound of music was replaced by the roar of metal crashing into metal. There was a sickening jerk. The window beside Fitz shattered. Airbags deployed with an explosive pop. The car skidded to the side of the road.

Grace screamed.

His heart pounding, Fitz turned to Grace. "Are you okay?!"

"I dropped my ice cream!"

"But are you hurt?"

"I don't think so."

"Jemma, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I might have some bruises tomorrow, but...Oh God. Fitz."

Armed men wearing Watchdog masks were piling out of the now dented van that had just run them off the road.

"Everything will be okay," Simmons told Grace, desperately hoping that wasn't a lie. "Just stay in the car."

Hands in the air, Fitz and Simmons left the car and stood in front of Grace's door. The Watchdogs aimed their rifles at them.

"Please don't do this," said Fitz. "She's only six years old. She hasn't hurt anyone."

"You two don't have to die," the Watchdog leader said. "We just want the alien. Step aside and we'll let you go."

"We can't do that," said Simmons.

"Then you'll die with her."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Any comments are appreciated.**


	3. Chapter 3

"The Watchdogs are after FitzSimmons and Grace," Daisy told Coulson when he answered his phone. "They should be heading back to the base, but I'm worried something will happen to them before they get there."

"We'll find them," Coulson said, his blood boiling. But there was no time for rage. He forced his brain to enter tactical mode.

Coulson and Mack assembled available agents with combat training. They were grabbing their gear when a young agent ran up to Coulson. "Sir, the car Agents Fitz and Simmons were using was just involved in an accident."

Coulson's heart tightened. "Is the GPS still online?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Alright, everyone. Let's move out!" The assembled agents filed into a fleet of black SUVs.

Coulson tried to prepare himself for the worst possible scenario. FitzSimmons and Grace could be badly injured...or dead.

No. He refused to believe that.

Fitz and Simmons were the smartest people he'd ever known. He had watched them grow and mature and fall in love. He had watched them save each other from impossible situations. He had watched them get married. He would never forget the look of pure joy on Fitz's face as Simmons walked down the aisle to him. That was barely two weeks ago. They deserved more time together. Much more time.

And Grace was only a child! She had her whole life ahead of her. He had promised her that she'd be safe with S.H.I.E.L.D.

Breaking his promise was not an option.

* * *

"You two don't have to die," the Watchdog leader said. "We just want the alien. Step aside and we'll let you go."

"We can't do that," said Simmons.

"Then you'll die with her."

"Wait!" Simmons held out one hand. "Please don't shoot. I'm pregnant!"

Fitz's mouth dropped open. "Are you serious?"

Simmons faced Fitz. "I'm so sorry you had to find out this way. I was waiting for the right moment to tell you." She turned to address the Watchdogs. "I understand why you hate inhumans; some of them really are dangerous animals that need to be put down. The little girl in our care isn't one of them. She's innocent. So is my baby."

The Watchdogs looked at each other, seemingly unsure of their next move. They hadn't started shooting, but they hadn't lowered their weapons either.

Taking advantage of their uncertainty, Simmons pressed on. "Fitz, if we're about to die, then I have to be honest with you. I'm only about 90% sure that the baby is yours."

Fitz realized what she was doing. S.H.I.E.L.D. would know their car had crashed. Back-up should be arriving any minute. Stalling the Watchdogs was their best chance of survival. "90%? Really, Jemma? Who have you been sleeping with the other 10% of the time?! Wait, don't tell me! It's Mack, isn't it? I see the way you two look at each other! He's my best friend, Jemma! How could you do this to me?"

"Ugh, Fitz!" Simmons rolled her eyes. "Mack and I are ancient history! How many times do I have to tell you that? You know Yo-Yo would kill me if I tried to do anything with her boyfriend."

"Then it must be the director."

"The director?! That's absurd! Why would you even think that?"

"You go on and on about how strong he is. And you're always working such loooong hours with him. It all makes sense now. That's how you got that big promotion!"

"You're just jealous because I'm in charge! You know I earned that promotion!"

"I know exactly how you earned it." Fitz risked a quick glance at the Watchdogs. They still had their rifles pointed at them, but they hadn't moved.

"So do I. By being the best person for the position. Do you deny that I'm capable?"

"No, you're certainly capable...capable of making men do whatever you want. And when they've served their purpose, you move on to your next target. How many guys did you go through at the Academy?"

"You're such a hypocrite, Fitz! You think it's wonderful when your male friends rack up conquests, but when a woman has multiple sexual partners, you consider it shameful. I will not apologize for having a healthy sexual appetite!"

"I'm glad you have a healthy sexual appetite! I just wish you'd restrict it to your husband!"

"Alright, that's enough," said the Watchdog leader. "Lady, if you really are pregnant, then you should do your baby a favor and get the hell out of the way."

"Wait!" Fitz opened the car door, unbuckled Grace, and held her in his arms. "Just look at her! Her name is Grace. She's six years old. Her favorite color is purple and her favorite dinosaur is a triceratops. Does she look like a monster to you?"

"No," the Watchdog leader admitted. "But the inhuman who murdered my sister didn't look like a monster either. Killing this kid will save lives. Human lives. And if you two die with her, then it's your own damn fault. I gave you the chance to leave. Get ready to fire, boys!"

Fitz hugged Grace and Simmons tight, hoping to shield them with his body. "I love you, Jemma."

"I love you too."

Fitz squeezed his eyes shut as he waited for the bullets to tear into his flesh. He remembered how beautiful Jemma had looked in her wedding dress. If this was the end, he wanted that to be his final thought.

Several seconds passed. Nothing happened. Why hadn't the Watchdogs started firing?

Fitz opened his eyes. He, Simmons, and Grace were standing inside a transparent bubble. He touched the bubble, but it didn't break. It shimmered beneath his fingertips like sunlight on water. Outside the bubble, he could see the Watchdogs but couldn't hear them. "I think Grace just created some kind of..."

"Force field," Fitz and Simmons said together.

"I didn't mean to," said Grace. "I was scared and then it happened. So...am I a superhero now?"

Fitz laughed. "Yes. So remember that old superhero motto: With great power comes great respon-"

Silent bullets ricocheted off the bubble. One of the bullets struck the lead watchdog in the chest and he fell to the ground.

Grace gasped. "Is he dead?"

"He might survive if he gets proper medical attention," Simmons answered.

Seeing the fate of their leader, the other Watchdogs started to flee. They didn't get far.

A half-dozen black SUVs screeched to a halt in a semi-circle around them, cutting off their retreat and releasing an overwhelming force of armed S.H.I.E.L.D agents.

Coulson, Mack, and the other agents pointed their guns at the Watchdogs. "Put your weapons down!" Coulson yelled. "Or we'll put you down."

Seeing they were greatly outnumbered, the Watchdogs laid down their rifles. The tactical team rushed forward, slamming them to the ground and cuffing them.

Grace stared at the injured Watchdog leader. He was losing blood fast. "Can you save him, Dr. Simmons?"

"You want to save the person who just tried to kill us?" Asked Fitz.

"It's what a superhero would do."

Simmons smiled. "If you shut down the force field, I'll do everything I can to help him."

"But I don't know how!" Tears filled Grace's eyes.

"You said you were scared when it happened. So try to relax. Take a couple deep breaths. You can do this."

Grace followed Simmons's advice. A few seconds later, the bubble dissolved in a shower of iridescent light. Simmons ran to the unconscious man's side.

"You're going to live," Simmons announced as she worked to stop his bleeding. "So that when you recover, I can tell you that you're alive only because an inhuman insisted I save you."

* * *

The next day, Daisy, May and Yo-Yo returned from North Carolina, having successfully completed their mission. They joined Coulson, Mack, Fitz, Simmons and Grace in the base's common room for a special ceremony.

Coulson stood in front of the others as he addressed the little girl with the purple glasses. "Grace, you showed tremendous courage and compassion yesterday. On behalf of everyone at S.H.I.E.L.D, I want to thank you for saving Agents Fitz and Simmons."

The team cheered.

Coulson handed Grace a box wrapped in purple paper. "Please accept this gift as a token of our gratitude."

Grace opened the box to discover a silver badge that read "Junior S.H.I.E.L.D. Agent." She smiled at Coulson. "It's so shiny! Thank you."

"You should thank Fitz too. It was my idea, but he actually made it."

Grace turned to Fitz and hugged him. "Thank you, Fitz!"

The room was filled with a collective "Awwww."

"In honor of our newest agent," Coulson continued, "I invite you all to have some cake." He noticed Mack glaring at the cake as if it were an enemy who had infiltrated the base. "Just remember, Mack, special occasion calories don't count."

As the team laughed, Grace and Fitz raced to the cake. Daisy tapped Simmons's shoulder. "Can I talk to you for a minute? In private?"

"Of course." Simmons followed Daisy into an empty training room across the hall.

"I was able to hack into that Watchdog website," Daisy said. "I changed Grace's status from 'at large' to 'neutralized.' If they think she's dead, they won't keep looking for her."

"Thank you." Simmons hugged her friend.

"I wanted to talk to you about Grace's future. We can't send her back into the system. One foster home already rejected her because she's an inhuman. How many more foster parents will be freaked out by a child who can make force fields? She'll end up bouncing from one home to the next, never feeling like she belongs anywhere, never learning to trust anyone. Then when she's eighteen, she'll be cast out with no one to help her. Just like I was. I don't want this kid to have my messed-up childhood. I was thinking that maybe you could change that...you and Fitz. You would be awesome parents! Grace already loves you, and I know you guys are crazy about her because you sent me so many pictures of the three of you hanging out in parks and museums. Please, Jemma...just think about it. Ask Fitz to think about it. It could save Grace's life."

Simmons smiled. "That was a nice speech, Daisy...but an unnecessary one."

"What do you mean?"

"We discussed it last night."

"And…? Stop torturing me, Jemma! Just tell me!"

"We want to adopt Grace."

Daisy threw her arms around Simmons. "I love you guys! You can be the responsible parents and I'll be the cool inhuman aunt."

"Nothing is finalized yet."

"I understand. There must be a ton of paperwork and-"

"It's not just the paperwork. We haven't talked to Grace about it. We need to ask her if she wants us as adoptive parents."

"Do it now! Do it in the common room so everyone can be there for it!"

Simmons laughed at her enthusiasm. "Okay. I'll talk to Fitz."

* * *

When Simmons and Daisy returned to the common room, they saw Coulson and May talking quietly in a corner, Mack wiping a bit of frosting from Yo-Yo's lip with his thumb, and Grace leaning against Fitz's shoulder as she ate. Simmons whispered in Fitz's ear. He put down his cake and stood beside his wife. "Before we all go our separate ways," Fitz began, "Jemma and I have something important to-"

"Dios mio!" Yo-Yo shouted. "You're pregnant already! Congratulations!"

"No, no!" Simmons said as their friends started talking all at once. "I'm not pregnant!"

"Although she did an excellent job convincing me and the Watchdogs that she was," added Fitz.

"I'm sorry about that."

"No need to apologize," said Fitz. "You were trying to stop them from murdering us. Anyway, although Jemma is NOT pregnant...we do want to be parents. Well, more specifically, we want to be Grace's parents."

"What do you think, Grace?" Asked Simmons, kneeling down to look into the girl's round face. "Would you want to be our daughter?"

Grace's eyes widened. "You mean for real? Not just pretend?"

"For real," Fitz and Simmons said together.

"You don't have to decide right now," Simmons said, realizing they had put this shy child in a potentially awkward situation. "You can take some time to think about-"

"YES!" The little girl jumped into the arms of her new parents. Coulson, May and Daisy got up to offer their congratulations.

"They make a cute family," Yo-Yo said, wiping away a tear. "Mack, we should make a baby. Right now."

Mack almost choked on his cake. "Right now?"

"We're not getting any younger." She grabbed Mack's hand and led him out of the room.

* * *

Eight months later, the team assembled at Fitz and Simmons's cottage in Perthshire to celebrate Grace's birthday.

Coulson and May arrived first, followed by Daisy, followed by Mack and Yo-Yo, who was six months pregnant.

Everyone watched as Grace gleefully opened her presents. Coulson and May gave her a Captain America shield. Daisy gave her a purple necklace and a bracelet to match. Mack and Yo-Yo gave her a brown-haired doll in a purple dress.

Fitz and Simmons gave their daughter books, a telescope, and a final present that confused her. "What is this?" She asked, staring at a small black and white picture.

Fitz and Simmons smiled at each other. "It's what you've been asking for," said Fitz.

"It is?"

"Yes," said Simmons. "It's your baby sister."

END

* * *

 **Thanks for reading! Any comments are greatly appreciated.**


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